Group honors South's role in independence

Tyrone Walker
The Post and Courier

Revolutionary War re-enactor and Middleton Place employee Mark Maloy of Charleston talks with visitors about his musket near the Second South Carolina Colonial Regiment living history camp at Middleton Place on Saturday.

Quick: When you hear "Fourth of July," what do you think of?

Fireworks? Picnics and barbecue?

In the thick of this busy holiday weekend, a group of Colonial-era re-enactors set up camp at Middleton Place to honor the real meaning of Independence Day.

"Everyone around here is geared to the Civil War, which is great," said Bob Sherman, a historical interpreter at Middleton Place. But people also should recognize the area's key role in the American Revolution.

South Carolina, for instance, was the site of more battles than any other colony, Sherman said.

"Everyone is aware of South Carolina's role in the disunion of the United States, so I like to show how we were involved in the union and creation of this country," he said.

On Saturday morning, a fife melody whistled through the moss of Middleton Place's giant mossy oaks. Leonard Karr, a re-enactor with the Second South Carolina Colonial Regiment, explained that fifes and drums were important communication devices.

"They were the army's public announcement system," he said.

Officers used drummers to signal commands and speed marching soldiers along, he said. In battles, soldiers could more easily hear drums than verbal orders. Fife tunes, meanwhile, carry farther distances than drums, making them useful signaling devices.

Like Sherman, Karr said the Charleston area sometimes gives short shrift to its role in the American Revolution.

"Up north, there are all sorts of parades, but there aren't any here," he said, noting that the war was essentially won in the South.

Middleton Place was a natural setting for the weekend's encampment, which continues today until 3 p.m. Henry Middleton was president of the Continental Congress in 1774, and his son, Arthur, signed the Declaration of Independence. The Continental Army once set up camp were Middleton Inn now stands.

Dressed in blue and white and holding a musket, Mark Maloy, another interpreter at Middleton Place, said that just like Christmas and Easter, it's easy to forget the holiday's historical roots amid all the hoopla.

"What happened could have been just a minor rebellion or a footnote in history," Maloy said. Instead, because of the sacrifices of soldiers like those he and his colleagues portray, the Declaration of Independence became a blueprint for democracy throughout the world.

"That's why we do this: So people can remember, and that's why the Fourth of July is my favorite holiday of the year," he said.

Reach Tony Bartelme at 937-5554 or tbartelme@postandcourier.com.